Flight-bar type roller gin



Jan. 31, 1967 E. H. BROOKS 3,300,818

FLIGHT-BAR TYPE RQLLER GIN Filed Feb. 10, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR. Hi" I w: if/az/vzfl 5600,65

1967 E. H. BROOKS FLIGHTBAR TYPE ROLLER GIN Filed Feb. 10, 1964 ZSheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR.

Jan. 31, 1967 E. H. BROOKS 3,300,313

FLIGHT-BAR TYPE ROLLER GIN Filed Feb. 10, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR[Z/Qf/VE 15. Beamzs ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,3M,818 PatentedJan. 31, 1967 Texas Filed Feb. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 343,724

4 Claims. (CI. 1950) The present invention has reference to ginningcotton, there being provided by this invention new and improved rollergin equipment.

Applicant is aware of the roller gin disclosed in the patent to Williamset al., No. 2,929,111, which is included herein by reference. Thispatent teaches an improvement in roller gins wherein the ginning rollercooperates with a stationary knife and with chain carried rectangularbars to pull the cotton from the seeds. When the apparatus disclosed inthe Williams Patent No. 2,929,111 is utilized for commercial applicationwhere the gin has a substantial width, shortcomings in this designbecome evident. In particular, the chains which support the rectangularflight bars must be very tight. In commercial roller gins, asubstantially increased flight-bar length is required together withheavier bars, and it is believed to be commercially impractical tomaintain such ,achain sufliciently tight to maintain the bars rigid soas to follow rigidly and close- I 1y a prescribed pattern of movementessential for prolonged effective ginning. Moreover, the flight barswhich carry the seed cotton to the knife in this gin trace astraight-line path relative to the peripheral surface of the gin rollerwith a consequent reduction in the ginning capacity before the flightbars reach the stationary knife.

The present invention has reference to a roller gin of the characterdescribed having a carrier conveyor for the flight wherein a new andimproved arrangement for conveying the seed cotton is provided so that asubstantially greater amount of actual ginning takes place before thebars reach the leading edge of the stationary knife. To this end, theflight bars trace an arcuate path relative to the peripheral ginningroller surface so that a greater area of contact is provided, and meansare provided for varying the orientation of the flight bars so thattheir bottom surface traces such a path.

Still further according to this invention, there is provided a rollercotton gin with a new and improved arrangement for controlling theangular orientation of the flight bars during ginning operations. Theflight bars according to the present invention are carried-in a fashionwhich will positively control their orientation relative to the ginningroller and the stationary knife. A new and improved structure isprovided for rigidly and positively mounting the flight bars formovement'in their predetermined path.

This invention contemplates a roller cotton gin which is particularlysuited for commercial application, wherein the flight bars may be of asubstantial length as necessary in commercial ginning operations withoutsacrificing the precision path of movement of each of the flight bars sonecessary for efficient ginning. The flight bars are provided with guideand control rollers attached to their opposite ends which are positivelyguided in their movement in opposed pairs of guide tracks, arranged onthe frame at opposite ends of the ginning roller, and a new and improvedstructure is provided for linking the flight bars to one another and toball bearing rollers which move along the tracks. The structure includesmeans for con trolling with a high degree of accuracy the angularorientation of the bars during their movement past the ginning rollerand the stationary knife, so as to provide an eflicient and reliableginning apparatus of enhanced capacity.

. These and still further objects, advantages and novel features of theinvention will become apparent in the specification and claims, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

- In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view partially broken out,of the roller gin according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation view of the roller gin inthe region of the apparatus where the ginning takes place;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along lines 33 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a detail elevation view of the flight bar rocking leverwhich carries and guides the flight bars in the tracks; and

FIGURE 6 is a generally diagrammatic elevational view (partly insection) of an improved modification of the invention.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, there is shown a roller gin10 which includes a conventional frame 12 of generally rectangularbox-like construction carrying a horizontally extending ginning roller14, which has a surface covering 16 of vknown material to which lintfibers adhere. The roller is mounted on a shaft 18 which is adjustablyjournalled in the opposed side walls of the gin frame 12 and connectedto any suitable prime-mover (not shown). An adjustable upwardly inclinedstationary knife 20 with a leading edge 21 is mounted on a cross rail22, in turn, joined at its end to the gin frame 12 by any convenientmeans (not shown). The knife 20 is upwardly inclined toward the ginningroller 14 in a position so that the seed cotton to be ginned is fed intothe roller gin 10 with an inclined seed cotton slide 24 onto the top ofthe ginning roller 14 at a position upstream or in advance of theleading knife edge 21. By this arrangement, the seed cotton adheres tothe surface 16 of the ginning roller 14 and is dragged toward the knife20.

Fixed on the opposed inner side walls of the frame 12 are identicallyaligned outside and inside guide tracks 25 and 26 defined by threeplates 27, 28, and 29 which extend in a generally rectangular continuouspath around the frame as illustrated in FIGURE 1. These guide tracks 25and 26 are constructed and arranged to carry a continuous set ofconnected and spaced-apart, generally rectang-ular, horizontallyextending moving flight bars or blades 30a, 30b, 300, etc., these flightbars being axially oriented parallel to the axis (and peripheralsurface) of the ginning roller 14.

In accordance with one important feature of this invention, the flightbars 30 are connected 'for movement in the general pattern described, bya linkage arrangement which will now be described. The ends of eachflight bar 30 carry a connecting flight 'bar rocking lever 32 which isin the form of a one-piece casting or the like (FIGURE 5) having an endWall 34, a rear wall 36, and a bottom wall 38. The rear wall 36 andbottom wall 38 have apertures 40 receiving machine bolts 42 whichrigidly join the levers 32 to each end of the flight bar 30. Each lever32 has a downwardly, rearwardly, and outwardly inclined arm 44 (asviewed along the upper flight), carrying a horizontally extending .boss46 at its lower end. This 'boss 45 carries an inside-track ball bearingcontrolling roller 48 on a threaded pin 50. In this regard, the roller48 rides in the inside track 26 between the inner- 3 most plate 27 andthe intermediate plate 28. The end wall 34 of lever link 32 carries anaxially extending boss 52. The exterior surface of this boss 52 carriesa smooth plastic bearing sleeve 54 such as of Teflon or the like,

the sleeve '54, in turn, carrying apertured connecting links 56,58 so asto pivotally connect each flight bar with the adjacent flight bars. Aball bearing guide roller 60 is carried by the interior of the boss 52via another threaded pin 62 in a manner identical to that described forthe roller bearing 48. Theoutside guide roller 60, of course, rides inthe outside guide track 25 between the intermediate plate 28 and outsideplate 29. Connecting links 56 and 58 are retained on the boss 52 by aspacer washer 64. By virtue of this arrangement, it is evident that eachlever 32 is integral with the ends of their flight bar 36, and thebottom flat surface 66 of each flight bar 30 can be oriented by varyingthe path of the guide tracks 25, 26 relative to each other.

Referring to FIGURE 2, another important feature of this invention isshown wherein the guide tracks 25, 26 are operative in conjunction withthe connecting lever 32 and its associated rollers 48, 60 to maintainthe bottom surface 66 o'feach flight bar in substantially tangentialrelationship with the upper side of the ginning roller 14 over asubstantial arcuate path in advance of the edge 21 of the knife20,

As the guide tracks 25 and 26 approach the upper side of the rapidyrotating ginning roller 1-4, their paths are parallel to the circle ofmovement of the surface of the ginning roller. Commencing with atransverse cotton inlet opening plate 68 extending across the frame 12immediately opposite the seed cotton slide 24, the track 25 takes adownward curve to a point slightly [past the tip of the knife 20 whichcurve is concentric with the peripheral surface 16 of the ginning roller14. This arcuate extent, designated A, constitutes substantially theeffective area of ginning with the bottom faces of the flight bars insubstantial contact with the surface of the ginning roller during theginning operation. There is, nevertheless, a slight separation of theflight bar shown at 30d in FIG- URE 2, from the surface of the rotatingroller gin immediately before reaching the tip of the stationary knife20.

The inside guide track 26 is parallel with the outside track 25 up to apoint past the opening plate 68 and through arc B. It then traces anabruptly oppositely curved path 70 down to a point well beyond theradial extent of the tip of the knife 20. This cooperative path isdefined by a curved widened part 72 of the guide plate 28 so that theinside roller 48 makes a quick swing while the roller 69 is entering anoutwardly extending part of the track 25, as shown at the flight barposition 300? (FIG URE 2). The positive outwardly guided movement of theflight bar (at 30c), away from the stationary knife 20 allows the seedto pass over the knife to a point of disposal as described in Patent2,929,111 or seed with attached unginned l-int may be pulled back to thetip of the stationary knife 20, to be acted upon by the succeedingflight bar.

By virtue of the linkage connection between the flight bars, thedisadvantages of a tightly drawn sprocket chain are avoided and it isnot necessary to operate under great tension in order to effect theproper positioning of the flight bars 30, as is the case with the priorart. The flight bars 30 trace their precise path not by tension onsprocket chains but rather by the positive positioning obtained by theguide tracks 25, 26 and the flight bars are brought to and from theirginning positions in a positive manner.

The guide plates 27 and 28 define a track for the rollers 48 which isparallel with the outer track for the rollers 60 throughout the arc B,and then the plates are formed so that the inner track follows anabruptly and oppositely curved path 70 down to a point well beyond theradial extent of the tip of the knife 20, the middle guide plate 28being widened as at 72 for this purpose.

the ginning roller in a controlled manner. are of such design that theflight bars approach the gin- Any suitable power means may be providedfor driving the flight bars 30 through their path shown in FIGURE 1. Forexample, this drive arrangement may include some type of drive wheelconnected to a prime mover (not shown) and positioned in the upperleft-hand corner of the gin frame 12 as shown in FIGURE 1, and asillustrated in the Williams et al. Patent, 2,929,111.

During operation, it is evident that cotton introduced into the rollergin 10 via the slide 24 is effectively ginned through the arcuate area Aon the top side ofthe rapidly rotating ginning roller 14 due to thearcuate path traced by the slower moving flight bars '30. Lever means isprovided for continuously and positively orienting the bottom fiatsurface 66 of each flight bar 30 so that the same is flush with theroller 14 during movement through this arcuate path A. I

In FIGURE 6 a modification of the invention is shown in which the tracksfor the guide rollers and the controlling rollers are reversed, in thesense that the controlling rollers 48' travel in a track 26' outwardlyof the track 25' for the guide rollers 60' which carry the flight bars80.

As in the first described embodiment, there is a ginning or packingroller 14- having a covering surface 16 of molded packing like material,such as rubber and canvas which has aflinity for the cotton lint, andthe doctor blade or knife 20 is adjustably mounted on a support 22extending between the end members of the frame of the gin stand, theknife being presented tangentially and with its point in surface contactwith the ginning roller and extending in a direction opposite to thecounterclockwise direction of rotation of the ginning roller, as shownin FIGURE 6.

As in the embodiment first described, the knife blade may be adjusted bymeans of -mounting screws (not shown) as is known in the art, both as tothe amount of tension it exerts on the surface of the ginning roller andas to the angle which it contacts that surface. Again, as in theembodiment first described, the bearings which support the ginningroller may be arranged for both horizontal and vertical adjustments, asis known in the art and not shown, to control the point at which thesurface of the ginning roller contacts the knife and to control theclearance between the knife and the lower faces of the flight bars.

The tracks 26- and 25", as in the first described embodiment, are formedby guide plates '82, 84 and 86 mounted on each side of the frame of thegin stand, at the ends of the flight bars, so that the latter are guidedby their ball bearing rollers in their movements from and toward Thetracks ning roller from the right, as shown in FIGURE 6, and the barsare at the proper time rocked or tilted so that their inner ends aresubstantially tangential to the surface 16 of the ginning rollerfrom aposition a to about the position 80b just in advance of the edge of thedoctor knife 20.

In the immediate vicinity of the edge of the doctor knife, the guidingplates are of such form that the track 25 for the guide rollers 60'takes an outward and abrupt change of direction as at 90, and the track26 likewise changes abruptly from a circular direction with respect tothe surface of the ginning roller, to a'direction extend ing outwardlyfrom the ginning roller, as indicated by the ,lead lines from thenumeral 92.

It will be understood that the adjacent flight bars are pivotally linkedto one another, as previously described,

and that the controlling rollers 48' and the guide rollers spaced fromthe stationary knife approximately one hundred and seventy-fivethousandths (.175) of an inch, this 'being a distance sufiicient toallow cotton seed which still has lint attached to it, to be pulled back(or to the right as viewed in FIGURE 6) to the point or edge of theknife 20, whereby further ginning action as described in the prior artWilliams et al. Patent No. 2,929,111 is accomplished, but with greaterefliciency, as previously referred to.

That is, from approximately the position of a flight bar as indicated at80a, over to the position where the flight bars start to pass over theedge of the doctor knife 20, there is ginning action performed by thecooperation of the ginning roller and the flight bars, the surface ofthe ginning roller being moved at a much greater speed than the speed ofmovement of the flight bars, whereby lint which is engaged by thesurface of the ginning roller is carried under the inner faces of theflight bars, with the seed being restrained by the flight bars, so thatsome of the lint is removed from the seeds. As previously mentioned,this ginning action is carried out over a much greater area of theginning roller, or throughout a greater are of movement, than ispossible in prior art constructions. When the flight bar reaches theposition 80b, where it passes over the edge of the knife 20, the actionof the guide rollers 60 and the controlling rollers 48', operating intheir tracks, and connected as they are by the levers 32', is such as topositively and abruptly move the flight bars outwardly away from theouter surface of the doctor blade 20, while successively tilting theflight bars as indicated between position 8012 and 800, thus enablingthe seed to pass over the doctor blade, and to be discharged to asuitable conveyor, or to be pulled back toward the point of the knife ifany lint remains upon the seed and is still engaged by the surface ofthe ginning roller. Of course, as previously described, in connectionwith the first mentioned embodiment, and as referred to in the Williamset a1. Patent No. 2,929,111, such seed as is pulled back to the edge ofthe doctor blade, will be subsequently engaged by a succeeding flightbar, and it will be carried away and stripped from its lint, whichadheres to the surface of the ginning roller.

In order to press the locks of cotton down on to the ginning roller, toimprove the ginning action, an auxiliary pressure roller 96 is provided,being mounted for turning movement on a shaft 98 which is carriedbetween arms 100 at opposite ends of the frame, and

which in turn are pivoted to the frame of the gin stand as at 102. Aweighted handle 103 may be provided to lift the pressure roller, whichtends to move downwardly by its own weight and which is thus yieldinglymounted and thus may be lifted around its own pivot by the pressure ofany excessive amount of cotton. The pressure roller 96 is provided withradially extending segments 104 which are of such size and are sopositioned that they will mesh in the spaces between the flight bars,and when the pressure roller is turned by the movement of the flightbars, these segments press the locks of cotton down toward and againstthe surface of the ginning roller in order to facilitate the ginningaction as previously described.

As in the principal embodiment, there is -a lint slide provided at 106,to deliver the cotton into the ginning area, at about the fli-ght barposition 80a.

The outer ends of the pressure roller segments 104 are arranged to clearthe packing roller by approximately It will be understood that theembodiment of FIG- URE 6 is illustrated in a more or less diagrammaticmanner, and that conventional supporting and driving means for the partsmay be provided as is well known in the art.

From the foregoing description of the various embodiments of thisinvention, it is evident that the objects of this invention, togetherwith many practical advantages are successfully achieved. Whilepreferred embodiments of my invention have been described, numerousfurther modifications may be made without departing from the scope ofthis invention.

Therefore, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth orshown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted in anillustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a roller cotton gin having a frame, a cylinder mounted in saidframe having a surface suitable for roller ginning, means for rotatingsaid surface at a relatively high speed, a doctor knife adjustablycarried by said frame and having a top substantially flat surfaceterminating in an edge presented tangentially against the direction ofrotation of said surface and substantially in contact therewith, meansfor delivering seed cotton to said surface in advance of said knife, aplurality of ginning blades for cooperation with the surface of saidginning roller and with said knife, a carrier conveyor having means formounting said blades in spaced apart relationship thereon and forguiding them in their movement so that their inner faces almost con-tactsaid surface and travel toward and with the direction of movement ofsaid surface in the area immediately in advance of said knife, but at aspeed substantially less than the surface speed of said cylinder, meansfor moving the ginning blades as specified, said carrier conveyor havingpositively acting means for positioning and abruptly swinging the edgesof said blades outwardly over the edge of said knife and away from theupper surface of said knife, whereby the seeds are ginned from thecotton to a substantial extent in the area in advance of the edge ofsaid knife, and again by being pulled by lint adhering to said surfaceback over the upper surface of said knife to its edge where they arethen contacted and finally ginned over the edge of said knife by asucceeding blade on said carrier conveyor, and a pressing rollerrotatably mounted in said frame for turning movement about an axisparallel to the axis of said cylinder, said pressing roller havingradially extending segments which pass into the spaces between saidginning blades upon rotation of said pressing roller and which press theseed cotton against the surface of said ginning cylinder in advance ofsaid doctor knife.

2. A roller gin as in claim 1 wherein said pressing roller is freelyrotatable and is rotated during operation of said gin by engagement ofsaid radially extending segments with the moving ginning blades.

3. A roller gin comprising: a horizon-tally extending ginning rollerhaving a surface to which fibers adhere; means for rotating said ginningroller; cotton feeding means adjacent the upper side of said roller; aknife positioned across the surface of said roller in a positiondownstream of said feeding means in the direction of rotation of saidroller; a plurality of spaced apart flight bars each having a bottomsurface; means for moving said flight bars in a predetermined path;guide means for positively guiding said flight bars through an :arcuateportion of said path coincident with the periphery of said rollerimmediately before said knife, said guide means including meanspivotally connecting each flight bar to the next adjacent flight bar, alever connected to each end of each flight barand extending therefrom ina vertical plane, a first guide element carried at the end of each leverand a second guide element carried on each lever in vertically offsetrelationship to said first guide element, first and second guide trackshaving curved portions positioned on each side of said ginning rollerand operatively engaging said first and second guide elements,respectively, whereby the offset relationship of said guide elements andtracks effects rapid swinging movement of said flight bars by leveraction operating through said levers in accordance with the curvaturesof said tracks; and a pressing roller rotatably mounted for turningmovement about an axis parallel to the axis of said ginning roller, saidpressing roller having radially extending segments which pass into thespaces between said flight bars upon rotation of said pressing rollerand which press the seed cotton against the surface of said ginningroller in advance of said knife.

4. A roller gin as in claim 3 wherein each of said second guide elementsis in general alignment with the axis of its respective flight bar andwherein said first and second tracks are parallel to each other and tothe circle of movement of the surface of said ginning roller as theyapproach the latter and wherein the curvature of saidfirst track thenchanges so as to efiect a quick swinging movement of each lever so as tomove the respective flight bar away from said ginning roller at thelocation of said knife.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Brandon Good19-127 Van Duyn 308-6 X Van Hille et al. 19-127 X Eves 19-127 Spoor308-6 X Barr 308-6 Williams et al. 19-50 Pusztay 308-6 Deems 19-50FOREIGN PATENTS ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A ROLLER COTTON GIN HAVING A FRAME, A CYLINDER MOUNTED IN SAIDFRAME HAVING A SURFACE SUITABLE FOR ROLLER GINNING, MEANS FOR ROTATINGSAID SURFACE AWT A RELATIVELY HIGH SPEED, A DOCTOR KNIFE ADJUSTABLYCARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND HAVING A TOP SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACETERMINATING IN AN EDGE PRESENTED TANGENTIALLY AGAINST THE DIRECTION OFROTATION OF SAID SURFACE AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN CONTACT THEREWITH, MEANSFOR DELIVERING SEED COTTON TO SAID SURFACE IN ADVANCE OF SAID KNIFE, APLURALITY OF GINNING BLADES FOR COOPERATION WITH THE SURFACE OF SAIDGINNING ROLLER AND WITH SAID KNIFE, A CARRIER CONVEYOR HAVING MEANS FORMOUNTING SAID BLADES IN SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP THEREON AND FORGUIDING THEM IN THEIR MOVEMENT SO THAT THEIR INNER FACES ALMOST CONTACTSAID SURFACE AND TRAVEL TOWARD AND WITH THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OFSAID SURFACE IN THE AREA IMMEDIATELY IN ADVANCE OF SAID KNIFE, BUT AT ASPEED SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE SURFACE SPEED OF SAID CYLINDER, MEANSFOR MOVING THE GINNING BLADES AS SPECIFIED, SAID CARRIER CONVEYOR HAVINGPOSITIVELY ACTING MEANS FOR POSITIONING AND ABRUPTLY SWINING THE EDGESOF SAID BLADES OUTWARDLY OVER THE EDGE OF SAID KNIFE AND AWAY FROM THEUPPER SURFACE OF SAID KNIFE, WHEREBY THE SEEDS ARE GINNED FROM THECOTTON TO A SUBSTANTIAL EXTENT IN THE AREA IN ADVANCE OF THE EDGE OFSAID KNIFE, AND AGAIN BY BEING PULLED BY LINT ADHERING TO SAID SURFACEBACK OVER THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID KNIFE TO ITS EDGE WHERE THEY ARETHEN CONTACTED AND FINALLY GINNED OVER THE EDGE OF SAID KNIFE BY ASUCCEEDING BLADE ON SAID CARRIER CONVEYOR, AND A PRESSING ROLLERROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXISPARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID CYLINDER, SAID PRESSING ROLLER HAVINGRADIALLY EXTENDING SEGMENTS WHICH PASS INTO THE SPACES BETWEEN SAIDGINNING BLADES UPON ROTATION OF SAID PRESSING ROLLER AND WHICH PRESS THESEED COTTON AGAINST THE SURFACE OF SAID GINNING CYLINDER IN ADVANCE OFSAID DOCTOR KNIFE.